You can grow plants indoors at any time, no matter the weather outside. But copying outdoor environments inside or in a greenhouse means one must consider several factors, and lighting is number one. Even though many gardeners care about light type and intensity, when light is supplied — the schedule is just as important for the plants.
Seven lighting routines are examined in this article to benefit indoor plant growth. Following these schedules will allow photosynthesis to function at its highest point, your plants to grow healthily, and overall enhance the outcomes in your indoor garden.
Lighting your plants should involve keeping to a fixed daily light cycle. Plants use photosynthesis better when you give them about 12 to 16 hours of light every day and then keep them in darkness for 8 to 12 hours.
If plants receive water according to the same schedule, it’s less stressful for them and helps their metabolism keep going smoothly.
Making Artificial Light Work with Natural Daylight
How powerful the sunlight is found in a home or greenhouse changes depending on the season. Since it gets dark, people in the gardening business use added lighting instead of sunlight.
Running your lamps for 14 to 16 hours daily will let your plants stay healthy and active throughout the day and night. Now, blooming plants usually aren’t dormant since there are new light programs.
If plants get only some light, you can turn on extra lamps for the first 6 to 8 hours every day.
Making Sure You Provide the Right Kind of Light for Different Development Phases
Plants need different amounts of light during their different stages of growth. Setting the lighting schedule to fit each stage encourages good growth and makes things more efficient.
- Raising your lights to give the seedlings 16 to 18 hours of light helps them grow strong and quickly.
- The Vegetative Stage is when you give your plant about 14 to 16 hours of darkness to encourage fast leaf and stem development.
Varying the light time to suit each plant growth phase goes with the natural signals and hormonal changes plants experience. Using this plan in portions, commercial growers can boost both yield and quality.
Give your Plants Limited Periods of Light in the Day
Advanced lighting schedules break the time that light is on into two or more sections, each followed by darkness.
By using this system, you can cut down on electric costs and unnecessary heat rise due to growing lights. That said, many plants do not tolerate their light cycles being interrupted, mainly those that depend on light changes to flower.
Split photoperiods work well for greenery plants, but it’s best to avoid them with plants that bear fruits or flowers.
Making Lighting Changes with the Change of Seasons
Changing the daylight length in your area might support better growth in your plants. Changing your plant’s light level with the seasons causes it to grow like a natural plant.
- During spring and summer, with more than 18 hours of sunshine each day, plants grow quickly.
- Because there is less light (10 to 12 hours a day) at this time, your plants settle into a slower growth phase.
Offering perennials that are suitable for each season is one way to do it. If you look after bulbs and tropical plants, they will thrive. They can follow a natural cycle, bloom before setting fruit and keep it all healthy.
Difference in Light
This dusk and dawn light gradually comes on or goes off, unlike other lights that only come on or off in sudden bursts. Copying the natural change of light improves your plants, so take time to add light when growing and shade when going to sleep.
Plants that grow best in warmth and indirect light benefit a lot from this approach. Support for growth is available in many programmable LED grow lights.
Why Routines in Lighting Matter Better Than the Amount of Light on Plants
Placing lights properly is useful, but it is often how you control your plants’ exposure to light that matters most.
Creating a special light routine for different varieties assists your plants in growing properly. You can enjoy plants that take off and thrive, are healthy, beautiful and provide more fruit or vegetables.
How to Create the Best Lighting Schedules for Indoors
- Use something to ensure that your lights only come on and go off exactly when you need them to.
- Reduce light around your plants when it is dark since good lighting at night is harmful to them.
- Watch for signs of good health and changes in your plants and change the way you care for them as needed.
- We should realize that a plant’s lighting needs differ from one species to another.
FAQ’s
Can I keep my grow lights on all day to make my plants grow more rapidly?
According to science, plants need a dark period to help with their metabolism. Constant bright light can hurt and even kill your plants.
How do I set up the appropriate lighting plan for my plants?
Check the environments that suit each animal and learn about when and how it grows through its life stages. Let this information determine when and how long you use your grow lights.
Will every plant react in the same manner to these lighting plans?
That’s not true; various species require different amounts of light during their growth period.
Final Words
The best growth results for indoor plants depend on when and how their artificial light is managed. The plans outlined here are proven to boost photosynthesis, direct plant growth, and raise their general health.
No matter if you are tending to a small herb garden or will grow vegetables indoors, the right lighting plan is essential for their success. Getting to know the lighting needs of your plants helps you make the most out of your indoor garden.
Central to indoor plant growth is having a good lighting schedule. If you master this, your plants will be colorful and healthy every season.